"Following your fingers
My hardened heart is reacting
Grip the secret chord
That only you know, play me"
~Play Me by Taemin~

The entire week at the university was pure hell for the cursed boy. The delinquent had turned Taemin into his slave, making him get his meal at the canteen, drinks from the vending machine, and other things. Sometimes he made him carry his books and bag.

They sat at the canteen and ate together, while Taemin had to watch them in silence. He no longer wore a headset. There was no need for it anymore, since the only one who was able to command him was the delinquent. Kai had again threatened him to tell the entire world if he dared to put back in his headset anywhere around him, so the cursed boy followed his orders.

“Yo, Geek Taemin.”, the orange-haired boy called for him and snapped his fingers like a spoilt brat, “My drink is empty. Get me another bottle of… soda.”

Taemin looked up from the paperwork he was doing, and slowly got up to do as he was ordered. He clenched his fist, yet he could not disobey. The hatred he cherished for the delinquent was written all over his face. Sehun was baffled. He could not believe that an older student would endure the unreal disrespect. The red-headed student was sure that his best friend kept a secret far worse than he expected. It was probably not just a photo of the geek, but some recordings – at least that is what he thought the secret was – that Kai had found or got hold of him. Baekhyun dropped the chopsticks and wiped clean the corners of his lips in annoyance. He could not stand Kai’s behavior any longer. He had enough of it.

“I’ll be at the music room.”, he informed the other two and grabbed his utilities and stuffed them in his bag and walked away without waiting for their nods or any other reaction.

Kai lifted a single brow and exchanged glances with his best friend. Sehun shrugged only and then leaned forth. He gave a little interest in how Baekhyun felt about it all.

“Yo, tell me. Why is that geek so obedient?!”, he questioned the delinquent as he was very nosy and eager to know about the truth, “Is he a secret streamer for adult content? Did you catch him having with someone? WHAT IS IT BRO, TELL ME!”

Kai just chuckled in amusement and watched the cursed boy who had approached the vending machine to get some soda for him. Taemin sighed as he put in two coins and pushed the button. He waited for the bottle to be dropped and as it finally fell, he crouched slowly and opened the lid to grab it, but he was stopped by someone’s strong grip on his wrist. It was none other than the white-haired senior, who pulled him back up on his feet with a single jerk.

“Get the away.”, he commanded all pissed at the cursed boy, who had kissed his sister.

Taemin gulped and shut his eyes in fear.

“Tch.”, Minho hissed and pushed away the cursed boy, “What a sissy you are. Don’t come across me that often, or I might beat the crap out of you one day.”

He grabbed the soda bottle and pushed it against Taemin’s chest. The cursed boy opened his eyes and blinked rapidly. He was confused but at the same time relieved that he was not punched in the face. He grabbed the bottle, bowed in fear, and quickly walked away. The white-haired senior watched him without further ado, then he got himself a bottle of soda too.

The delinquent frowned, while Taemin approached them. Kai hated Minho for what he had done to his sister – but then again, he was no different for what he had made Taemin do to the beanie-princess – and wanted to take revenge so badly, but he needed some time to plan it all thoroughly. Thanks to Minho, Jennie avoided her brother entirely. Even at home she acted like he was made of thin air, invisible to her and that made him hate the white-haired senior even more. Kai loved his little sister, and she meant the world to him – he always felt the need to protect her no matter what – but this incident had ruined their wholesome friendship and brother-sister moments.

“Here’s your soda.”, Taemin said and placed the bottle on the surface of the table with an aggressive slam, that happened to escape his introverted attitude – he flinched to his own action –, and he immediately bowed apologetic to the orange-haired boy.

Sehun shook his head in disbelief and Kai nodded thankfully and then indicated for the cursed boy to take a seat in front of him, right next to Sehun. It was not an outspoken order, but it needed not to be either. Text messages, gestures – whatever Kai did – made Taemin follow his orders. The cursed boy believed that it was thanks to that cryptic page in his notebook that happened to have different outcomes, depending on who read it. He needed answers. For the first time in his life, Taemin wanted to really know why he was cursed and why this notebook would have been his only escape – which was ruined by Kai one year too soon – and if there was another way to get rid of the curse. He needed to find that old buddhist monk and get some answers, but to do that, he needed to ask his mother about it. He had no idea where to look for that old man and thanks to the delinquent he was not allowed to talk to his mother about the curse anytime soon. Kai liked the whole situation. He enjoyed having a human toy. The delinquent was bored of his life anyway. This was thrilling and totally new and different from everything else he already had. Owning a human being like this was fun to him.

“Seriously, you piss me off. Geek!”, Sehun hissed at Taemin and slammed his hands on the table and got up all annoyed, “Whatever, I’ll see you at the auditorium.”

He waved at his best friend and earned a smile back from the delinquent. Taemin sighed and just watched the red-haired boy leave. Kai observed Taemin, who still wore a mask – which the delinquent wanted him to wear anyway – and then opened his bottle and took a big gulp. He placed it in the center of the table with a smirk and his own full lips.

“You’ve been a good obedient boy until now.”, he suddenly stated and leaned forth to have a closer look into Taemin’s beautiful eyes.

The cursed boy leaned back a little and gulped but he kept his eyes on the delinquent. Kai blushed slightly and briefly clenched the corners of his lips. The mask on Taemin’s face covered half of his perfect features, but still his eyes had a strong expression and made the orange-haired boy feel in some way. The cursed boy blinked several times and waited for a new order. His blinking made Kai snap out of it and he finally cleared his throat.

“I think it’s time for you to loosen up a little.”, the troublemaker added and smirked again, “Let’s skip some classes together and go to the mall instead.”

Taemin frowned to the words of the orange-haired boy. He hated the idea already. Skipping classes would be very troublesome to him.

“Can we please not? My- my mother won’t leave me alone if I do this…”, he opposed, and Kai was surprised to hear him talk back.

“Oh, so you actually don’t have to agree with everything I say, right away?”, he questioned the cursed boy.

Taemin pouted and grabbed the soda bottle that belonged to the delinquent, but Kai immediately took it away.

“Just in case.”, he said referring to the possibility of the curse being passed onto him through indirect kisses, which he definitely wanted to avoid at any cost.

Taemin kept pouting and then crossed his arms and placed them on the tabletop. He buried his face in them and sighed loudly. Kai chuckled again. The orange-haired troublemaker told him to look up and answer him. Taemin did as he was ordered.

“No, I can’t escape your orders… I’ll follow whatever you say, but I can talk back, you know?”, the cursed boy informed him, “I just don’t like talking to anyone… especially you.”

Kai nodded in satisfaction and closed the lid of the soda bottle. He then tapped his index finger on the surface of the table and got up.

“Follow me, Geek Taemin.”, he ordered and made the cursed boy get up instantly.

Taemin grabbed his utilities and hurried after the delinquent. He hated it already, but his body simply obeyed that orange-haired stupid troublemaker. The cursed boy sighed again and caught up on him. Kai briefly glanced at him from the corners of his eyes and then grinned brightly.

“Have you ever stolen something?”, he asked on their way outside the huge building.

Taemin shook his head from left to right frantically. He now had a bad feeling about where this short trip to the mall was going. Kai smirked and pointed with his thumb to himself.

“Me neither.”, he admitted and added proudly, “I mean, I’ve never had the need to steal anything, since there’s nothing I don’t get. Anything I want, I get it… But how is it with you and your family? Are you rich?”

Taemin wanted to vomit – that is how he felt about the delinquent every single second he spent more with him – but he kept his cool. He faked a smile and made it obvious that it was not meant to be honest.

“My mother is wealthy… and we’re living in a small mansion, if that’s what you are asking about…”, he told him and added harshly, “But I’m not a spoilt brat like you.”

Kai frowned upon hearing his assault. He cracked his knuckles and clicked with his tongue. Taemin knew that he had ed up with that, but he wanted to get it off his chest.

“Well, let’s see what your mother will think of you if she has to pick you up from the police station.”, Kai said with a pissed voice and grabbed Taemin’s wrist, only to get electrified and let go immediately and hissed, “Aish! This ing again…”

Taemin pulled back his arm and caressed his wrist with a slight hiss. He hated it. Both boys had noticed that if their skins touched the electrocution would happen quite fast. It was not as intense as the ones that happened when they had kissed, but still it hurt. Kai walked in front, while Taemin followed him silently.

On their way through the front yard, they came across Chanyeol. The tall boy briefly looked at Taemin and then to the delinquent. He was not on good terms with Kai.

“Everything alright?”, Chanyeol asked the cursed boy as he was worried about him.

He knew that Taemin did not like the orange-haired boy, so he just wanted to make sure he was doing fine. Kai put his hands deep into his pockets and silently glanced at Taemin. He said nothing and just waited for him to answer. The cursed boy felt the eyes of the delinquent piercing his soul. He knew that Kai wanted him to say something nice to the junior. Taemin cleared his throat and smiled under the mask.

“Y- Yeah… we are going to the mall…”, he finally said honestly.

“What about your courses?”, Chanyeol added another question as he found it odd that the cursed boy would skip together with the delinquent.

Kai clicked his tongue and stepped between. He pushed back Chanyeol with one hand and frowned at him. Taemin took a step back as he did not want to get involved in a fight. The tall boy grinded his teeth yet he remained calm. He looked once again at the cursed boy and lifted a single brow as a signal if he was really alright with leaving Kai. Taemin bit his